This week: Last week, the European Union came through for Israel, upgrading special trade status, strengthening economic ties on myriad fronts, and reversing trade penalties for the Gaza massacre of 2008. Most incredibly, all this was undertaken in violation of the EU’s own European Neighbourhood Policy that requires “preferred trading partner” status be reserved for those nations respecting international human rights, democratic values, and the humanitarian obligations expected of civilized governments. And all this without AIPAC, or a November election.

Jon Elmer is a Canadian writer and freelance photojournalist who has lived in and reported from Occupied Palestine for the better part of the last decade. Jon has photographed and reported from more than a dozen countries, including Nepal, the Basque region, Western Sahara and Morocco, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. Jon’s work can be found featured across the internet at Al Jazeera English, the InterPress Service, and Le Monde diplomatique among others, and at his site, JonElmer.ca.

Jon Elmer in the first half.

And; Theresa Wolfwood is Director and co-founder of the Barnard-Boecker Centre Foundation, and is a writer, photographer, and long-time activist who has travelled from the highlands of Mexico to the gates of Gaza and beyond in pursuit of peace, social justice, and women’s rights. Terry has written for Briarpatch, Peace News, and Third World Resurgence, among others, and is the local co-ordinator of Victoria’s Women in Black. Today at noon, the Women in Black held their Hiroshima Day vigil downtown at the tourist office, across from the Empress Hotel to remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the role Canada played in the production of the bombs that were needlessly dropped upon the people living there.

Terry Wolfwood standing vigil for the dead and remembering the continuity of life in the second half.

And; Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV Radio broadcaster Janine Bandcroft will join us at the bottom of the hour to bring us news from our city’s streets and beyond. But first, Jon Elmer and Israel reaping rewards from the jostling line of its foreign “best friends.”

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, 104.3 cable, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://GorillaRadioBlog.blogspot.com

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